Imperial Code
by TheThotAudit
Summary: Breaking free from his chains, Ragna attempts to escape. But what awaits him? And even if he escapes, can he move on? AU. Current arc: Childhood Arc.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Emergency sirens resounded from the Imperial Capital; soldiers flooded from its gates into the forests in search of the cause. No stone left unturned in their wild goose chase. Roars of soldiers demanding to find the traitor hung in the air as did the intoxicating scent of iron from the soldiers that managed to catch up to said traitor who now littered the forest floor. Through the veil of night, a lone beastkin warrior dashed through the greenwood. Bits of blood stained his orange coat and twin tails, the treasured jacket shredded, the front opened to reveal most of his chest which had several slash wounds and a deep gash that threatened to bring him to his knees from a soldier that managed to get a good hit on him. Damn wound just won't stop bledding, will it?

The blade he held between his teeth, once a brilliant silver, now dripped in red from the soldiers he killed moments ago; the other remained in its sheathe. These precious blades of his given to him by his dear brother the day of his passing, or...the day before his murder, now bathed in the blood of those he once called allies. For so long Jubei's head remained buried in sand. But no longer. He had to find out what happened to his brother all those years ago. Deeper and deeper he dug for the truth, but he sunk his teeth far too deep and discovered the truth of not only his brothers disappearance, but the hidden ajenda of their mission that day. The real truth... The whole truth...

"Damn...! Persistent bunch."

Even though he had dealt with most of his pursuers, plenty still trained him. And from the footsteps stomping and shaking the earth, Jubei knew he had his work cut out for him. To think they'd catch up to him so quickly too, Jubei groaned internally. He kept his powder dry, his feet barely touching the ground as if he were flying, form hunched to decrease wind resistance as he accelerated to distance himself from the coming search party.

Sensing imminent danger, Jubei threw himself back, barely avoiding a fireball that clipped off the tip of his right whiskers as he landed with a hard thud. The moment he got back up he deflected two bullets that shrieked off his blade with a clang and readied himself, drawing his second blade in his tails, untrustworthy vision trained on the coming group of silhouettes seen in the flame. Men and woman, dressed in jolting sapphire uniforms, wielding axes, swords, spears, and guns emerged. Jubei got down on all fours in a menacing stance, like a predator watching his prey. He had no time to deal with them.

"Jubei… We have orders to bring you in dead or alive. If you continue to resist, we have no choice but to settle for dead." One of the soldiers told him, holding his blade with both hands as the rest readied themselves. By the time his feet left the ground, Jubei had appeared before him, and with a heavy swing, knocked the slender blade from the soldier's hand as the sword flew through the air. Jumping up to match the dazed soldier's height, Jubei reeled his foot back then whipped it into his face as a harsh crack echoed, and the soldier flew through a tree. A soldier that managed to sneak up on him didn't even have the chance to swing as he was forced to try and parry Jubei's sword. The power behind his swing was indescribable as the soldier's ax shattered and he was sent into a tree with enough force to bend the bark.

Jubei rushed the rear guard, blades targeting the gunman who hid in the back. With a shout, the beastkin warrior swung a sword up that treated the gunman body as if he were a stick of warm butter. Crimson sprayed from the long arched gash and scattered into the night sky, coming down like rainfall. Jubei then whipped his body around with speeds no human could possibly perceive as his second blade sliced clean through two soldiers that attempted to sneak up on him. However, his attack hadn't ended. The blade that swung left instantaneously sprung right in fluid motion as if forced by a spring and sliced through two more soldiers that attempted to decapitate him. Talk about two for two...

"B-Bastard!" A desperate soldier rushed the skilled warrior with a shout and swung down, only for the small cat to vanish before his eyes. Before he could turn around, red spat from his mouth. Stunned, he looked down to see a blade had pierced his heart and hacked when Jubei yanked the blade from his chest as the soldier hit the ground with a harsh thud. In that same instant, Jubei swung his blade in an arch to remove the blood from his sword that formed a red crescent on the grassy terrain in an attempt to scare the remaining soldiers away. Sadly, it didn't work as intended as their desperation and fear took control of their hands and feet. A shame, Jubei sighed as another two soldiers swung their weapons down at once to cleave him but missed as the warrior leapt out the way, now standing at the center of the group. Faster than the eye could see, Jubei swung his blades then sheathed them slowly back in their holders. When the blades clicked in its holsters, slash wounds instantly appeared; blood gushed from the innumerable wounds as the dismembered soldiers dropped like rocks as Jubei took off into the night like a gust of wind.

After what felt like an hour of running, a now breathless, beaten down Jubei took a break before a tree, sitting upright. Though he knew he didn't have long before his pursuers caught up to him. The injured warrior looked down to his paw to see it split into three before returning to his one. As if not already on his last legs, while still a fair distance away, his well-trained ears picked up on heavy footsteps. Jubei's jaw clenched counting at least twenty of them at the minimum, and when he tried to run off, he fell face first into the mud. Swearing under his breath, the warrior retrieved his weapons and took off at speeds no human could match no matter how hard they trained.

"Almost there…! Just a little further!" Before Jubei was the end of the forest, and before that was the border of Normingen; the Imperial Capital's outer most region. Once he reached that, neither the NOL or the Imperial Army could follow him. He knew it like the back of his paw. The bevy of trees split the more he ran until finally, he emerged from the forest he traveled for what seemed like three hours. He would've gotten out faster, but with the constant interference from the NOL and Imperial soldiers, it derailed him more than he liked. While he expected pursuers, he didn't expect to be chased with such persistence, though, should he really be surprised?

Suddenly, a pain lanced into his right foot as Jubei lost his balance and went rolling several feet before gliding to stop. Jubei grunted through gritted teeth, and with untrustworthy vision, looked towards his goal, now being forced to crawl towards it. No strength left to stand Jubei used his sword, digging them into the soil to drag himself, creating a trail of blood. The cat swore under his breath, hissing, feeling the numerous wounds inflicted on him within the night finally catch up to him and some re-opening from his harsh collision with the ground. Eventually, his arms fell off his blades, and his eye lost its gleam. Strength poured out of him from the various gashes and while he tried to remain conscious, he could not for much longer.

"Goddamnit…!" Jubei weakly cursed, coughing out several splats of crimson onto the grassy field. Blood pooled beneath him, drenching his orange coat; spreading until he felt as if every drop of blood had left his body. His ears quirked to coming footsteps splashing in his blood, and when he picked up on the scent, his canines were shown along with a defiant snarl. "You…bastard…!" Jubei picked his head up just enough for him and his attacker to lock eyes. To him, this figure was just that; a tall, black enigma, but his scent... That grin... It told him exactly who this was. "I knew it…! You—!" A foot crushed his paw, the pain stopping his words as they choked his throat. Jubei held his yell in, allowing only a pained grunt to pass. No way in hell would he give this bastard what he wanted.

"You really were a pain, you know? Guess the apple doesn't fall far if you shake the tree hard enough." The silhouette said, taking his foot off the injured beastkin as he kicked him onto his back. "Nice try though… A for effort."

"You…piece of shit…!"

"So, you still got some fight left in you, huh? I guess you two really are brothers… What a nuisance." The enigma clicked his teeth.

"Bastard...! I saw it all...! Every single bit of it...!" Jubei choked out. A smirk that looked like a white a crescent to Jubei's blurred vision appeared on the figure. "I saw it all in the NOL archives...! The disappearance of my brother, the Kushinada project," he hacked up blood then and inhaled to catch himself. Now panting. "What are you planning!? Tell me!" Jubei rasped.

"Tell you? Why would I do that? You're gonna die here anyway…" The figures voice hung in the air; while relaxed, it held a deadly edge that stopped the breeze in its tracks. His vision far too blurry to discern even the grass he laid on anymore, what could only be described as an enigma rose high above him as what he could tell to be its jaws opened. Jubei's perception of time slowed at a speed that would be justified as sinful. His body went completely numb; the overuse of his muscles that he had forced to work even though they were just about ready to fall off finally hit him with all its pain. Flashes of his life, from birth to now, came at once. Through it all, a select few divorced themselves from the clutter; it almost brought the man to tears.

 _Ragna... I'm begging you... Do what I no longer can..._

In the next instant, the ear-wrenching tear of sinew echoed through the field as crimson flew through the air as a final thought passed through the mind of the fallen warrior as he breathed his last.

 _...And protect my daughter._

 **Alright, here's another story comin' at ya! I've got too much time on my hands you say? Nope! Works been tiring me out and I barely have time for myself. And after getting this read by Apprentice (even though I changed quite a bit of this after our talk) and another mentionable, I thought I'd post this and give yall something to read since I'm not too sure when I'll be free again. Also, with Cross Tag being cleared up, I'm a little happy. Not like I really cared about that DLC crap, but whatever.**

 **Anywho, time to explain how this is going to work: the description will change depending on the arc this story is in. The description I have now is a sort of place holder and basically the summary for this chapter. Please wait for me : ). I'm still deciding on how to start the next few chapters as I'm debating with myself (which I will explain it and my decision in the next chapter). Its why this won't be updated for sometime. Its not like I don't know where to go with this story, its just I like these two ideas I have and don't know what to do. If you're interested, PM me. I dont mind clearing it up. But you all should have some idea of the main objective of this story soon. I'm also thinking of doing a chapter (backstory kinda thing) for each character introduced. Still debating about that... Also, this will kinda be like an RPG. Like with party members and all (but that's just me poking fun XD).**

 **Now for the disclaimer: bear in mind, there will be mentions of rape (possibly even scenes), sexual acts and what not (so basically some smexy, sexy, or smut here and there), gore and all that. I'm really just warning you about the rape part. The others you would be expecting for an M-rated fic and telling you this may turn people away, but I don't want to hear it down the line. Just saying. Sorry I dragged on so long and I hope you all will find another one of my tales interesting an enjoyable past time. The genres of this story are more than two since there's spice bits of romamce, angst, drama, and hurt/comfort. Tell me what you think and I'll see ya whenever!**


	2. Chapter 2

_In the pitch black darkness, hoarse cries and ear-tearing screams could be heard._

 _Painful ones._

 _Spine-chilling ones._

 _Haunting figures in white lab coats scattered the large room, either taking notes or monitoring the small boy tied to the large table at its center no more than eight or nine. They loomed over his crooked, scar-covered that resembled one who has fought in many battles. Hair once blond now platinum, shock changing it to its current color. Even though strapped to this table, his mind abused and body tormented, he felt nothing. In time, he had developed a little space to run away into in his mind. While screams ripped his throat, roaring raw, his mind wandered elsewhere. Settling to deal with the body-numbing pain at a later date._

 _All he knew was that this was a hell he wouldn't be able to escape. No matter how hard he tried. Forced to accept his fate. Nothing but a tool… A tool…_

 _"Up the seithr levels, he can handle it. He's nothing but a tool..."_

 _"A tool should obey their wielders, and he's no different. If he breaks, there are more tools in the shed."_

 _That word had been said to him so many times it became repetitive, and over time, repulsive. Much like a rusty dagger, those phrases struck into his skin. He wanted to fight back, but he couldn't retort. Any word he wished to come forth either died on his lips or were replaced by the throat-tearing screams that filled the laboratory. Life had dealt him a terrible hand; it wasn't fair. Why did he deserve this; his fractured mind had tried to come to terms with the events following that fateful night. Emotions ran rampant within him; fear, anxiety, depression enveloped him into its darkness, swallowing him whole._

 _Science… Magic… They did this to him. Used him. Killed his family and took away his freedom._ _Abused him in ways he fought so hard to forget, but he couldn't. Nightmares of their condescending voices in his ears while he cried and wailed... Did they care? Of course not. All they did was laugh and laugh and laugh as he cried blood. Leaving him beaten. Broken. Wrung out like a rag out to dry. Reduced to nothing. He served his purpose; they said as if they owned him. But who was he kidding? They did... He couldn't even cry anymore. His tears had all but since dried up. Replaced by blood._

 _It was all their fault. And knowing he couldn't take revenge thrust him into despair. He practically swam in his misery as if it were a bath. It started slow... Painfully slow before overwhelming him entirely. Its crackling voice whispered in his ear at night. Oh, how he memorized its ghastly voice. His voice. His eyes staring at him with that imperious look. That smile on his face. His crackling laughter that taunted him. Rage which heated his blood to boiling. But, through all that, he couldn't remember a single thing about him. All he saw was a phantom with a broad smile on its face. Almost like smoke, the apparition danced in a taunting motion. As if the memory of his being were extracted from his mind, keeping the laughter for memory sake to torture him at nights and the form to keep him awake._

 _'Someone... Anyone. Please, help me...'_

 _He had no idea how long this has gone on for. Days? Months? Years? God only knows how long he's been here begging for help. Wanting to return to the joyous life he had with his family. But even the memories of them that once brought a smile to his lips became nothing but bitter memories. Instead of joy, they brought forth pain. Instead of solace, misery came in its stead. Instead of comfort, torment plagued him. The world instilling that he could no longer return to the life he once lived. That he was cursed to waste away and die like a dog. He cursed the world... He cursed everything. He just wanted it all to end..._

 _..._

 _'What is that...? A voice?'_

 _'You can not die yet. So says the Azure...'_

 **Chapter 1: Reluctant Hero**

Confined within a small, grimy cell and chained up against the wall, a platinum-haired boy hung with his toes barely touching the ground covered in filth. From his arms to his legs, and even around his neck that had the words "E10" engraved on it, chains bound him. It was his number. His new name. Given to him by the bastards who imprisoned him in this cell like a caged animal.

He opened his eyes. Perhaps it was the persistent nightmares or the intense growling of his stomach that woke him up. But it made no difference. Whether opened or closed, all he could see was darkness. Living in the dark for so long, kept away from the sun, he's forgotten what it looked like. Was the sun even real? How long has it been since he's been locked up in this godforsaken place? He didn't know. He stopped caring. What good would it do him? Who the hell would come and save him?

Stirring from his thoughts, tired, detached emerald eyes surveyed his cell as his senses returned to him; it was small and damp. Dark, begrimed walls surrounded him. Barely enough room to even kick his feet without kicking the metal door before him. Quite. Cold. This was his cell—his 'home'. When he got his hearing back, he expected noise. Screams of others kept prisoner filling his ears as they always did. Begging for mercy, to be set free of their chains only to scream even louder. Guess they had their fun with him for the day.

A guttural growl erupted from somewhere in his chest. Drained emerald eyes glared at the large metal door before him. Cursing at it as if it were a person. He used to tell himself that if that damn door wasn't there, he could easily break out of here, but that was wishful thinking.

Malnutrition left his body frail; the cold that nipped at his skin and became frost on his body did little to help the situation. His body felt numb to the touch, any contact felt like ice on his skin. And so long out of the sun, he could barely see two feet in front of him. They fed him enough to keep him alive for their little experiments, and if he acted out, he wasn't fed. Can't bite the hand that feeds you, as the saying goes. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and he had yet to accept that he was nothing but a lab rat. Accept that he was powerless. Accept that, in the end...he could do nothing but obey.

Years of torment whittled away at his will to fight. He could remember a time when he would laugh at the scientists wandering by his old jail cell who raced away when he would growl at them. They tripped, stumbled, and fell right on their asses. One hell of a sight, and it was the only thing keeping him from dying of boredom. But with all his troublemaking and acts of rebellion, he should've expected something like this to happen. At times, he missed his old cell. At least there he could move around to his leisure without being chained and caged like some wild beast.

Then _she_ popped into his head.

What was her name again? His memories were so jumbled; even recalling his own name at times was a chore. That damn girl was a real oddball though. Within that gritty, morbid cell she could still smile as if nothing was wrong. Memories of the short conversations they shared slowly came back to him as did her name: Celica A. Mercury. Heh, talk about a mouthful. For someone who gets treated even worse than he did, she sure was cheerful. Especially to him. Got annoying at times, and it's not like he could escape her either, so he tolerated it. Looking back on it, those were probably some his better times spent here. And seeing someone like her trapped in this hellhole ached him.

Was she dead? Where's her family? How'd they get her? How did they get him…?

A throbbing pain pulsed through his skull then. How did they get him? Damn it, how!? Who the hell was he, really!? A boy living in a small village? A test subject!? Who!?

His stomach bubbled and gurgled then as he fought to keep his food down. No, damn it…! Stay down! Acid propelled itself up his throat, and by sheer luck and force of will, he managed to stop it in his neck and swallowed it down. He couldn't throw up. If he did so, there's no way he'd live to see his next meal (if he could call those disgusting plates of shit 'food'). Muscle and fat whittled away; there was none to feed off of. If he had to choose, he'd rather drink horse piss than eat the shit-on-a-plate he had no choice but to shove down his throat. But he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Sweat seeped from his pours, forming beads on his now clammy skin that he hadn't washed in days. They traveled in singles down his face to drip of his chin. Labored breathing panted from his chapped lips, struggling to retain his regular rhythm. Shortly after, he grabbed his bearing just enough to formulate thought. Through the pain came letters which brought flashes of his life before his imprisonment, or at least, what he assumed to be his life. Being here so long, he figured he was born here. In his mind, these letters formed a name: Ragna. Ah, yes, that's his name. Ragna. For some strange reason, a smile managed to form on his chapped lips that were straightened for so long they practically froze like that—

"Blagh!"

—then blood splat from his mouth.

A fit of violent coughing followed, far worse than the one yesterday that left him unconscious. Crimson splat from his mouth with each cough, sweat seeping through his pores even more than before, his breathing strenuous. Ragna did his best to hold back the minuscule amount of food he forced down his throat, but his struggles were all for not. Stomach acid poured from his mouth containing whatever he had last. Vomit soon turned to blood as the two mixed in a puddle below his feet.

 _Help!_

Is what he wanted to call out, but he was far too weak. Eyes fought to remain open as if a massive weight was being pressed down upon him. Vision blurred and narrowed before finally turning to black. Ragna could hear his heart beating in his ear, his pulse fading and fading fast. His lips moved, but no words left, only whimpers. Soon his lips froze, and all he could feel is the cold nipping on his flesh, and even that feeling was vanishing.

 _Am I…dying?_

Ragna had to ask himself, even though he knew the answer. He could no longer hear; he could no longer see. The heart beat that pounded in his ears faded away in time. Cold… Quiet… The lonely embrace of death. With all his might he tried to resist it, but it was so tempting. So comforting; maybe now, his suffering would finally end.

 _"…"_

 _What…? A voice? I...I know this voice._

 _"_ _Not yet. So says the Azure…"_

For some odd reason, Ragna felt himself free falling. He ascertained the strength to open his eyes and found himself in some sort of void. Darkness enclosed all around as if watching him. But not even a moment later did he see something. It had an odd tension and warmth. Even though he was gravitating towards it, he felt himself getting no closer. It resembled a small blue flame and was it…calling to him? The flame beckoned him as he extended a hand to it as if he could grab it.

All of a sudden, the blue flame expanded and absorbed him, and in the next moment, he found himself floating in white, still making his descent.

 _Where…is this?_

 _"_ _You can't die yet…"_ An almost robotic and monotone female tone spoke in his ears. When Ragna tried to turn to face the voice, he found himself in the arms of the voice's wielder; it was a girl with blond braided hair, azure eyes devoid of all emotion, and with her face, she seemed about his age. But upon closer inspection, she appeared more…mature.

"Who are you…?" Ragna finally found the strength to usher in a few words, fighting tooth and nail to keep his eyes open.

 _"_ _I am Es: Guardian of the sacred Azure. And you have been chosen to wield its power."_ The mysterious girl, who introduced herself as Es, said. Their descent came to an end as her heels tapped what seemed to be the ground.

 _Guardian…? Azure?_

The azure-eyed girl helped him down to stand, balancing the wobbling boy letting him stand on his own. _"Come with me, Ragna."_

"Why should I…?" Ragna questioned, not all too trusting of the odd girl.

 _"_ _You want power, don't you? To escape your prison? If power is what you desire, the Azure will grant it to you. And I'm sure you have questions; unfortunately, I am unable to answer any of them as we are short on time. The light which is your life is dwindling, and if we wait any longer, you will perish."_

"So, basically, I don't have a choice, do I?"

 _"_ _As long as you understand, we can begin,"_ Es snapped her finger, as a large door appeared bearing strange symbols and letters. An extraordinary pressure oozed from the massive door, similar to the blue flame he had seen earlier. _"Behind this door, the Azure dwells. Place your hand upon it; we will begin with the contract."_

"Contract?"

 _"_ _This will grant you access to the Azure's power. There is more to explain, but as I said earlier, we don't have much time. You're fading fast."_ _Es told him._

Ragna stared at her for a moment, trying to find some fault in her eyes, but found nothing. She was a blank slate—empty even. He turned his attention to the massive gate and started over to it, his steps heavy and the pressure emanating from the enormous structure only slowed him down. Reaching the door, he slowly placed his hand on the structure. In that same instant, his body began to glow as an alien power rose up within him. Brighter and brighter the blue light shined, his body igniting like a flame, and when he tried to remove his hand, he found it stuck.

'D-Damn it! What is this!?' Ragna winced and ground his teeth, enduring the harsh burning sensation as blue flames now covered him from head to toe. A guttural scream slowly tore from his throat as the pain grew in its intensity along with the flame. His eyes screwed shut; then suddenly, he felt nothing. When he opened his eyes to find out what happened, he found himself standing on…something. It was pitch black, but it seemed stable enough to stand on.

"Where am I…? Hey!" Ragna looked around frantically for Es to find the small girl nowhere.

 _" **You have passed…"**_

Ragna gasped and whipped around to the ominous voice that seemed like it belonged to a deity. As if his name was called, Ragna looked up, eyes now trained on a small flittering flame descending, halting before him. He stared in awe at the dancing flame, its color alluring and glamorous like a priceless jewel.

"Is this…the Azure?"

 _" **You are indeed worthy of wielding the power of the Azure. Now, take me into her hand."**_

A cautious, trembling hand reached out to the blue flame, and once he had the flame in his palm, he closed his fist and crushed it as azure colored flames slowly crawled to enthrall his right hand. Before his eyes, the flame turned his arm to a pitch black resembling that of this void. There was no pain; there was no fear. A sudden well-spring of power flit within him, building up, filling him with strength once lost. The thick cloud in his mind finally cleared. After so long, he felt like him again.

Then it went dark.

 _" **Go forth, Ragna."**_

* * *

 **Prison Facility: Cauldron**

"S-Sir!" Regan, a fellow scientist, called out to his boss, Simon, from across the room which blew up in alarms and noise. Red emergency lights flashed, signaling something was very wrong. "The seithr levels are going out of control, and we can't stabilize it!"

"Then cut the power, you idiot!" Simon commanded.

"We've already cut off the main and backup powers, but nothing's working!" Another scientist, Claire, said. Her face contorted in distress and her dark colored hair poking out on all ends due to stress.

"Damn it...! Then...close the cauldron!" Simon ordered.

"Wha!? Without failsafe protocol!? If we do that, then everything we've done up until this point will be lost to the boundary!" Another scientist called from the far end of the room, voice and expression intermingled in shock and anger. "Do you have any idea how long it's going to take us to retrieve this level of data!? We're talking about another thirty to forty years!"

"Just shut up and do it! Or do you want to die here!? If the NOL or the Imperial Army catch wind of this then—!"

A growl froze Simon's words on his lips. Their bodies froze along with his words, fearful eyes attracting to the low, deep, beastial growls coming from the other end of the thin glass: the cauldron. Seithr steadily oozed from the gigantic mouth, becoming visible to the human eye. But that was paltry compared to what their eyes trained on. Simons dark-colored eyes dilated to the fog which filled the space on the other end of the thin glass which protected them. Within the thick fog, red eyes glowed with growls. His entire body quivered as if cold. Moisture dried up from his mouth and he had no spit to gulp down. Its crimson, glowing eyes locked onto them and the growls heard sent chills down their spines and even soaked a few of their pants.

"N-No...! This couldn't be...!" Simon's lips quivered until it curved into a smile. "Hah...! Hahaha...! Hahahaha! We did it! WE DID IT!"

"W-What...?" Regan removed his gaze from the massive beast to Simon who now approached it. His eyes were opened wide like a fanatic. A man truly driven mad.

"I know who you are...! The Black Beast! The monster that tore through this world so many years ago!" Simon rose his hands up as if worshipping it. "For so long we've searched the boundary in search of answers, but now we can finally have them! Beast connected to the Azure! Grant me the knowledge and power thrived by so many! In exchange, I sacrifice the lives of the men and women here! Eat and devour to your heart's content!"

"You son of a—!" Regan shot from his seat.

"Grant me the power of Azure!" Simon pleaded. His smile faded when the beast remained still. "W-What's wrong? Come on! Grant me the Azure's power!"

 **"You...are not worthy..."** The voice which came from the cloud sounded as if it came from the depths of hell. It's dark tone freezing the scientists in place.

"W-What...?" Simon's hands fell as he took several steps back once the beasts red-dyed eyes glowed a bright crimson. Gradually, the thin glass cracked as seithr seeped in through its cracks. "N-No, wait! P-Please, wait! I've been searching for you! I need your power to further my research!" Simon fumbled through his words. The man who's intellect went unrivaled in this facility spoke like an infant. A baby begging their parents for a treat. Soon his words became so incoherent that nobody could understand him. The seithr which seeped through the glass ensnared them all, and no matter how much they wanted to run, they couldn't. Thier legs couldn't move. They wouldn't obey.

"N-No...! Don't...do this...!" Simon fell to his knees, crawling to the shattering glass to stare the fog in its glowing crimson eyes. He stretched a hand out towards him. Seithr ensnared him from his legs, crawling upward. "Please don't do this...! Don't do this..."

 **"Foolish mortals... You are not worthy of the Azure's power. Those who defile its power must be punished. Suffer in the throes of power you wished to bath in and behold the futility of your efforts. So says the Azure..."**

* * *

 **Prison Facility: Lower Dungeons**

Two people made their way to throughs the dark corridors; one a crudely equipped bulky man who wore nothing but a single bronze chest plate, leaning an unkept sword on his shoulder; the other a magus garbed in Ishana robes, wooden staff in hand. The two were tasked with relocating the prisoner to another block. Due to the power outage, the hold on his binding may have weakened. And knowing him, he'd use that opportunity to try and escape.

"This is bullshit," the swordsman clicked his teeth, annoyed at the fact he was stuck babysitting. "There's some exciting shit happening by the cauldron, but here I am, forced to keep some brat in check. Why the hell did I even agree to this job?" His tone was gruff. Well suited for a man of his occupation: a mercenary.

"Stop complaining," his friend told him. His was bit lighter, yet held sophistication. As someone who's trained in the magic arts, being calm and collected were neccessary attributes. Brown eyes looked to his friend in reprimandation, internally sighing to his headstrong mentality. "I think it would be better for us to be as far away from the cauldron as possible. I have a bad feeling about all this, and I think we should run if anything else. You're not always the most cautious anyway..."

"And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" The swordsman groaned, turning the corner to walk down the corridor which lead to the prisoner's cell. "You've been getting real damn smart lately, Gary. Don't get pissy with me because Ishana kicked you out."

His brow twitch. "I've always been like this, Darian. I would appreciate it with you keep that disgusting name from my ears. And they didn't kick me out, I simply left."

"Uh-huh... Sure. Whatever you say man. It's not like you were begging them to take you back or anything. But, hey, they didn't kick you out. You left~" Darian smirked.

"I will deal with you after this"—the magus stopped before the large metal door, ready to open it—"right now let's relocate him to—"

Before Gary could open the door, the two threw themselves out of the way as the door was blown off their hinges. When the two regained their bearing, they found not only the re-enforced door broken in two, but smoke funneling from the cell as if a bomb had gone off. Slowly did they rise, preparing themselves for the coming foe. From the smoke, seithr oozed. Toxic. The air becoming hard to breathe as a chill ran down their spines as they took a couple steps back. Footsteps grew closer, the small figure approaching.

"What the...?" Darian's eyes widened, locked onto the small boy who made himself known. Just a month ago he had to tame this kid for acting out, but...was this the same brat who spit in his face? His right eye was dyed red, and his right arm was pitch black with seithr oozing from him.

"Is this...the...?" Gary's words froze on his lips, his entire body shaking to the boy before them. No... This couldn't be a boy.

This was a monster.

"Now...who wants to die, **first**?"

 ** _Breaking from his chains, Ragna is finally free. But what awaits him...?_**

 ** _Next Chapter 2: The Escape_**

* * *

 **After fiddling around with a myriad of different ideas, I decided to go ahead with this one: a childhood arc. Tell me what you all think, and if you have any questions, I'll be more then happy to answer. Later!**


End file.
